FC Cincinnati 2 travel to Huntsville, Alabama this Sunday, September 22 as they take on Huntsville City FC at Wicks Family Field at 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT. The Orange and Blue are coming off a 2-1 win against Columbus Crew 2 last Sunday to clinch their first-ever MLS NEXT Pro Playoff berth while the Boys in Blue will look to build off a six-goal performance against Atlanta United 2 as the regular season winds to a close.
The match will air live on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
The Orange and Blue close out the MLS NEXT Pro Regular Season with ‘Soccer Sunday’ at TQL Stadium on Sunday, October 6, against Orlando City B at 1 p.m. ET. The celebration kicks off at 11 a.m. ET with a number of family friendly activities and a meet and greet with FC Cincinnati players and Gary the Lion. Tickets start at just $5 and can be purchased here.
FC CINCINNATI 2 at HUNTSVILLE CITY FC – SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2024 – 7 P.M. ET/6 P.M. CT – WICKS FAMILY FIELD
Keep up with all things FC Cincinnati 2 @FCCincinnati2 on X, Instagram and Facebook.
FC CINCINNATI 2 NOTES
CLINCHED – FC Cincinnati 2 clinched a spot in the MLS NEXT Pro Playoffs for the first time Sunday night against in-state rival Columbus Crew 2. The Orange and Blue are the first club from the Eastern Conference to secure advancement to the postseason and are one of five clubs across MLSNP to do so.
The Orange and Blue can lock up a top-four spot with a win on Sunday against Huntsville City FC for the right to host an MLSNP Conference Quarterfinal match.
AND WHAT A YEAR IT’S BEEN – A berth in the postseason has capped what continues to be a record setting regular season for the Orange and Blue. With three matches still to be played, FC Cincinnati 2 have set single season highs in points, wins, goals scored, goals conceded and points per match. Cincinnati’s 48 points and 14 wins, to date, through 25 matches pace the Eastern Conference.
The Orange and Blue have scored 41 goals while conceding just 30, a goal differential of 11, tied for the fifth highest mark across MLS NEXT Pro. The team’s 1.92 points per game is the third highest in MLSNP.
BACK IN THE GOALS – Sunday’s result marked the first time since July 28, a 5-0 win against Chicago Fire FC II, that the Orange and Blue scored multiple goals in a match. Amir Daley and Kenji Mboma Dem tallied the all-important goals for their fifth and sixth goals of the season, respectively.
It has been an attack by committee approach for FC Cincinnati 2 this season as the Orange and Blue’s top four goal scorers have five or more goals and are within two goals of Ben Stitz (7) for the team lead.
CLOSING OUT THE REGULAR SEASON – The Orange and Blue have three matches remaining on the regular season schedule. Following Sunday’s trip to Huntsville, the Orange and Blue will face New York City FC II on the road on September 9 before hosting Orlando City B at TQL Stadium on October 6.
FC Cincinnati 2 took a point against New York in July and earned three points against Huntsville in a 2-1 win in June.
SCOUTING HUNTSVILLE CITY FC (7-13-5, 26 PTS., 14TH IN EASTERN CONFERENCE)
It has been a frustrating 2024 campaign for Huntsville City FC in the club’s sophomore season in MLS NEXT Pro. Huntsville are one of just four MLS NEXT Pro teams that have been eliminated from playoff contention with three games remaining in the regular season. A less-than-ideal start to the season doomed the Boys in Blue, as Huntsville went winless through the first two and a half months of the year. After earning their first win on June 1 against Carolina Core FC, Huntsville have gone 6-6-2 and are coming off a 6-3 win against Atlanta United 2 last time out.
The Boys in Blue have found success in front of goal in recent weeks, as Huntsville have scored three or more goals in three of their last five matches. Woobens Pacius has led the way scoring a hat trick against Atlanta on Sunday and extending his season goal total to seven. Pacius now has five goals in his last five appearances and has tallied at least three shots in his last four. Leading goal scorer Jonathan Bolanos scored and assisted twice for his match with two or more goal contributions.
FC Cincinnati defender Joey Akpunonu, who played and started 23 matches for FC Cincinnati 2 in 2023, was loaned to Huntsville City FC on August 10 and could feature against his former team for the first time. Akpunonu has played 90 minutes in every match since joining the Boys and Blue and tallied his first assist against Atlanta last weekend. Christopher Applewhite has slotted in next to Akpunonu in defense having played 18 matches this year for Huntsville.
Huntsville have struggled to produce quality results at home this season, going 3-7-3 at Wicks Family Field. Despite the poor season long form in their own building, the Boys in Blue have won two of their last three in Huntsville, including a 1-0 win over Chattanooga FC for the club’s first shutout performance of the year.
